Pied Piper
by Cappucafe
Summary: Becoming Sesshomaru's personal doctor wasn't in Reina's agenda. Reina is a human who lived on the Miracle Mountain and acted as a guardian but Sesshomaru broke her typical routine and took her out on an adventure which included a lot of danger, much to the horror of the woman. Reina is a coward with trust issues but maybe she could find someone special on this journey once more.
1. Chapter 1: The Guardian

A girl with black hair, tied to the side of her head, hummed a song. She was kneeling underneath a large brown tent that had several bookshelves lined up on the sides. A stone table was in front of her and across the table was an old man.

"Old mister...be careful next time. You're lucky that your wrist is merely swollen from too much work. Leave the hard work to the young ones, okay?" She wrapped a bandage around the old man's wrist and wrote something down on a piece of paper. She ripped it off and passed it to him. "If you head out, there should be a waiting area with a purple flag. When one of the foxes come down, they will take the paper from you and give you an ointment. They will tell you how to use it." She smiled and her soft brown eyes sparkled.

"Ah...thank you Guardian of the Mountain." He wobbly stood up but the girl quickly got up to help him.

"Call me Reina...mister." She walked him out of the tent. Seeing the temporary emptiness in the lineup, she stretched. Until she heard shouting.

"Reina! Reina!" A small white fox ran towards her. "An injured man with a missing arm is at the foot of the mountain but he won't come into the barrier. Arrogant, I say!"

"Arrogant you say!" Reina grinned as she scooped him up. She cooed at him as if the fox was merely a child. She then frowned when she realized the point of the white fox's approach. "Which way is the injured man?"

"This way!" The little fox leapt out of her arm and a blue glow enveloped it. The eyes of the fox glistened as he wandered towards north and Reina chuckled slightly. It was a rather adorable sight for a small fox to lead the way with such pride around it. Yes, Reina was a sucker for cute things.

As the small fox gracefully leapt from one mossy stone to another, Reina carefully clung onto the trees around her for support. After two or three trees later, her palms were covered with bark and her fingers are scratched. Her feet slid on the loose soil that was freshly rained on and the girl was seriously considering on training to become more athletic.

Sensing the slow descendent of the girl, the fox sighed and sat on the rock, swishing it's tail. "Are you alright, Reina? Do I need to carry you?"

Reina looked up and stifled her laughter. Despite knowing the fox's true form...it was quite funny to hear that from a small white fox with cute, wide black eyes. Reina coughed as she tried to not look at the soft fluffy tail of the fox and waved her hands, dismissing the offer.

"I'm fine, I'm fine, Nobuo. It's only the north side that is this steep and bumpy. It's also a good workout for me since your grandmother doesn't allow me to move around too much." Reina jumped from the thick tree root that was on higher ground and led to a steep downhill. She slid downwards and yelped as she fell back and slid down on her bum. She came to a halt at the foot of the mountain and the white fox trotted up to her with a sigh. "Remind me to carry you down next time."

Reina immediately stood up and dusted her salmon pink dress and raised her hand. "No, thank you. I need the exercise." She looked around and saw a wide open area with a small lake in the middle, crystal blue. The fox demon reverted to its' true form and a boy with fox ears and tail pulled out a twig from her hair. Reina muttered a "thanks" in embarrassment as she guiltily looked away. The boy was definitely taller than her and of course, older than her by centuries. Yet, this black haired girl was inwardly laughing at how cute he was as a fox cub.

Nobuo pointed in a certain direction, oblivious to Reina's guilt and silent apologies. When he noticed that Reina hadn't replied the fox sighed in exasperation and poked the girl's head, gaining her attention. The ravenette blinked and looked at the direction he was pointing, only to see a figure behind one of the trees beyond the barrier that guarded the mountain Reina and the fox spirits resided in. Silver white hair flew in the wind and Reina inhaled sharply at the beautiful figure in front of her. There was no doubt the mysterious aura around him was that of a high class demon but her eyes fell on the loose sleeve where Nobuo supposedly said there was a missing arm. Her analysis was disrupted as a high pitched screech bursted her ears.

"Sesshomaru-sama! The infection has reached your shoulders! If you don't receive the help of the Guardian, it'll devour your entire body!" A scaly demon appeared in their sight and Reina narrowed her eyes. She walked right up to the barrier and Nobuo sharply turned his head.

"What are you doing Reina? You know you can't go through the barrier."

"Um...hello there...sir…do you need help?" Reina tapped on the barrier, as if she was knocking on a door. Realizing she probably looked idiotic, which she did, the girl dropped her hand and smiled nervously as the demon turned his hand, examining her. The little demon next to him waved his staff, scowling: "Go away human! We don't need help from a useless human girl. We're here for the Guardian!"

Nobuo immediately became agitated and snarled but Reina brushed him off. She chuckled and responded: "I am the Guardian."

Jaken blinked and looked at Reina up and down. Nope. Nothing great or powerful coming from her. He scoffed in disbelief as he shooed them away. Reina sighed but immediately stiffened when she realized the dog demon had not averted his cold stare on her. Brimming with new resolve, Reina inhaled deeply and replied to the imp demon: "Well...it's certainly not up to you to believe it or not. It's up to your injured master. If you truly are a loyal retainer of his...you should put his health in first priority rather than worrying if I'm a fraud or not."

"Why you! Of course I'm his loyal retainer I-" The imp was interrupted by the white haired demon who spoke out in a calm and collected yet cautious tone. The demon's golden eyes met Reina's brown ones with a calculating and testing look. "What if my condition becomes worse after you have treated me?"

"You can have my head." Reina spoke out with an immediate answer that surprised all three of them.

"Insane woman." Muttered Jaken.

Sesshomaru smirked with amusement as he analysized the ravenette. He stood up and loomed over her with an intimidating aura. Yet the girl's soft brown eyes that seemed to look at everyone the same, didn't sway. He pulled up his sleeve to reveal the infected left arm that was starting to eat away at her shoulders.

Reina leaned forward and peered up at him. "Would you mind telling me the story behind this? It's certainly not a normal infection and I doubt a great demon such as you would put some random foreign object offered by a random stranger who says there was a magical power to it to your already detached arm."

Sesshomaru blinked slowly. "...That's what happened."

While Nobuo sputtered but held in his laughter, Reina shot her head up in surprise then smiled in a way that Sesshomaru hoped wasn't pity. She chuckled as she motioned the dog demon to sit down on a rock nearby as she kneeled down next to his arm.

"What's your name?" She gently raise the shoulder to check the core of the infection.

"Sesshomaru."

"Well Sesshomaru...I don't know why you did it and how it was even possible…but please don't do something so irrational. It can cost you a life." Reina closed her eyes and stuck her hand out at Nobuo. "Tweezers"

"Hmph." Sesshomaru grunted. Reina placed her left hand in the air but not too far from Sesshomaru's injury as a soft, pale blue glow glistened from her hand and reached out to his injury. She used the tweezer to gently pluck out the core of the infection and Nobuo produced a glass plate with his little pocket. Reina put the tweezers down as she proceeded to hover her left hand over his injury. Sesshomaru's eyes widened as he could now see the small glow from her hand produce thin fibers that began to fix, sew and create new cells while killing the infection. She healed him halfway before she stopped and took out a bandage with from her own pocket and began wrapping it around.

"It's a good idea to let your own cells heal most of the time rather than relying on outside reinforcements. I eliminated the majority of the bacteria that was eating away at your arm, therefore your wound should heal slowly by itself." Reina informed Sesshomaru with a reassuring smile. Sesshomaru slightly winced at the overly bright smile as the girl stood up and tucked the bandages back into her pocket.

"Though I suggest you shouldn't do much with that injury and perhaps come with me to the clinic where I can record and investigate into the situation. I'd like to find a cure for the infection other than…" Reina trailed off as she looked at her hands. Sesshomaru also stared at it before Jaken ruined the silence with his screeching.

"Absolutely not! Lord Sesshomaru has other things to attend to and-"

"Jaken." Sesshomaru said, coldly. "I will go."

Nobuo and Jaken deadpanned one word at the same time: "What" as Reina blinked in surprise then smiled. "That would be wonderful."

As Sesshomaru watched Nobuo force the ravenette to go onto his back and earn herself a piggyback ride, he narrowed his golden eyes as questions began to surround him about the girl. She looks human, so why does she have a strange power? What was that power? What exactly is the guardian? And why does she seem so naive and trusting in such a corrupted world like this? Sesshomaru followed the two strangers up the mountain. For all he knows...Reina may serve to be a useful pawn.


	2. Chapter 2: The Ancient Ones

**Hello everyone! Cappuccino here~ Thank you for the follows and reviews so far! The reviews motivated me to write the next chapter and I hope you'll enjoy it! If any of the canon characters get too OOC, remind me!**

 **I'd like to respond to the two reviews currently:**

 **Ukitakeitalialover041757: Haha thank you! Hope you will stay until...whenever this fanfiction is going to finish ^^**

 **JusticeGurlz:Thank you thank you! And here's the new chapter lol**

 **Please review (because it motivates me lmao) and here's the second chapter :3**

"Humans...and demons?" Was the first thought that crossed Sesshomaru's mind an spoken by Jaken as the two newcomers reached the top of the mountain. A spectatcular sight of series of architecture stretched out from the upper part of the mountain and upwards, with the largest building built on the top. Too big to be a shrine, yet too small to be a village, Sesshomaru couldn't find the right vocabulary to describe this place. Not to mention the creatures that were currently bustling in and out of the architectural space.

Humans and demons alike were mixed within the crowd and they were actually interacting DECENTLY, with no intent to kill or harm. If there was slight discontent between two patients, the fox spirits would quickly appear and seaparate them. As Nobuo allowed the girl to get off of his back, Reina dusted off her dress and grinned at the surprised demons.

"Before we enter the property of the fox spirits, there are some rules. If you cannot follow on the rules, you will for sure be kicked out of the mountaint. Literally." Reina and them stopped at a small gateway, painted a bright red that separated the mountain's natural structure and the upper mountains.

"Rules?! What do you mean rules?! Do you not know who-" Jaken screeched but Nobuo yawned as he swished his tail to cover the imp's mouth. Nobuo glared down at Jaken while snarling: "Shut up."

"Rule number one! No fighting here. Rule number two! No killing anyone. Rule number three! No discrimination! And that means if a human waddles up to you and strike a conversation, you cannot scoff at their inferiority." Reina listed each items off of her list.

"No guarantees."

"Yes guarantees! In fact this is a good time to demonstrate!" The girl blew in her cheeks in frustration as she realized that the two demons were still looking down on her as she walked up to an injured, lizard demon who was threatening an old man for bumping into him.

"Stop right now, Raiku!" Reina stood in between the demon and the old man.

"Oi! You little fox! Aren't you going to do anything? You're little Guardian will get hurt. That lizard has a knife!" Jaken pried Nobuo's tail away as he pointed at the fox accusingly.

"Shut up, imp. What do you take the fox spirits and Reina as?" Nobuo looked down at the imp. "We're not called the Guardian and Spirits of the Mountain for nothing."

Sesshomaru, upon hearing this, looked at the human with mild interest. Could it be that it was the "power" he had seen earlier?

"Oi oi...little girlie...I'm quite disappointed that the Guardian was this...pathetic. Rules? Ha! Anyone here can lie about their health and just get fixed before turning this place into a chaotic mess! I'm surprised no one has done it yet. Oh well...I guess I'll be the first-"

"Raiku!" Reina repeated in an unhappy tone. "I'll give you one last chance."

"Go ahead, Guardian! Do your best."

Reina sighed as she inhaled deeply before staring at the demon, reciting one word: "banish". The wind swirled around them and picked up the lizard before tossing it high up into the air and threw it to who knows where. But all they know is that the lizard won't be able to come back here...for another half a year.

"Why didn't you just kill him off?" Sesshomaru asked. He was slightly disappointed at what just happened but then again...it was his fault for expecting so much from a human.

"My policy is not to kill." Reina challenged the great demon with the timid personality of hers. If she was outside of the mountain, one word and the demon could end her life within a second. "I am a doctor, I save and heal. The fox spirits and I created this utopia for the safety and remediation of my patients. They are too tired for the pointless wars and conflicts from the outside world."

At that, Sesshomaru chuckled, which frightened Jaken to no end. The white haired demon began walking and realizing that Reina had to bring him to the very top of the mountain, she ran a little to catch up. "What's so funny?"

"You're too naive, human girl." Sesshomaru responded and regained his calm demeanour. The pair walked up the cobblestone path, passing numerous small buildings with almost everyone having at least one patient being tended by one fox spirit. Nobuo and Jaken, were quite slow behind them as they were arguing and accusing each othe of the most random things.

"I know that it's naive to have a place with no bloodshed. As a human who hasn't left the mountain at all...I have no right to say that such a dream would come true. But...I have heard stories, I have met a man soaked in blood, I have met warriors from war, and I have met the intentions of burning this place down. But even so, this small mountain is enough to protect those are in need of it's protection. Even if it's merely a second, a day, a month...it's enough to prove that there is the word peace." Reina objected. They were currently crossing the agricultural area where all of the herbs and medicinal plants were.

"Never left the mountain huh. And how long is that?" Sesshomaru glanced at the girl who seemed to be at the age of sixteen. Inside his mind he scoffed because even if it was a lifetime for the girl...she was still a human. Her time cannot be comparable to his.

"My mind and body retains the age of sixteen...because for me...time passes differently. But according to the Ancient ones….over 400 years."

"Four hundred?" Sesshomaru stopped for a brief moment, which allowed Reina to walk up a few cobblestones more than he did. He then resumed walking as he noticed how ancient and pure the entire area was. The area was almost godly and it should be sickening for a demon.

"You should have sensed it too. The godly like air on the top most part of the mountain. It's what causes me to grow...abnormally. But once I leave the mountain, I will grow like a normal human." Reina explained as they reached her own little building, only the second highest and biggest on the entire mountain.

"You seem too awfully trusting. And if this place is for...gods, how does a demon like me enter this place without difficulty?" Sesshomaru glanced around at the well kept building with a bit too many scrolls here and there. Reina motioned him inside and a room with a desk, paper, and pen was set out there.

"It's not a secret. It just isn't well known." Reina pulled out an ink stick and an ink stone. "Also, the Ancient Ones already know you're my guest. If you check your palm...there should be an odd white streak." She opened the window to reveal a small bamboo pipe leading to a fountain well. Picking up the inkstone, Reina gently tipped the bamboo pipe to let in a bit of water before letting go of the pipe and closing the window. She then began to rub the inkstick on the inkstone.

Sesshomaru looked at his palm to in fact, find a white streak on his hand. He hummed in slight interest as he dropped it back down. He stared at the human girl who seemed so oddly persistent in helping anyone and believing the idea of peace.

"What if I planned to kill you after you heal me? Would you still have helped me?" The question surprised Reina but the complete opposite response and reaction surprised Sesshomaru even more. Reina didn't stop creating ink until there was enough needed for her to take notes. She looked up and smiled as she wiped her bangs out of her eyes and placed the inkstick back in place. "I would still help you. My purpose in life is to be a doctor."

"That' a rather dull life." Sesshomaru grunted as he sat down on the extravagant chair across from her. "Have you ever heard of Naraku? Or the Sacred Jewel?" He watched in amusement as Reina had originally picked up the brush and was about to write when she froze at the name. "...Yes."

"Then it seems I no longer need to explain."

"That demon took so many lives and hurt so many people. Him and the Sacred Jewel. If only the Jewel didn't exist…" Reina sighed as she rubbed her temples. "I can't forgive him. Fifty percent of my patients is caused by him and the jewel." Reina sighed.

"And I thought hatred isn't you." Sesshomaru arched his eyebrows.

"It's not hatred. It's sadness. I really want to leave the mountain and stop this Naraku but there are several reasons that I can't. And one of them being I'm pathetically weak." Reina chuckled. She was well aware of what she could and couldn't do. All she could do is heal and fix but Naraku...wasn't a situation that Reina herself could fix.

"Why else can't you go down the mountain?" Sesshomaru watched as Reina began to write things down with her calligraphy, with the words "Naraku" and "Sacred Jewel" being underlined.

"Because the Ancient Ones won't allow it." Reina smiled as Nobuo and Jaken finally made their way up the mountain. Nobuo peered down at what Reina wrote and clicked his tongue in disgust. "Naraku, eh? Sacred Jewel…" Nobuo whistled and looked up. "Now you're lucky Mister. If Reina didn't have the H-" Reina whacked her hand over Nobuo's mouth and began sweatdropping. "Nobuo...it isn't a secret about my age or anything...but certain things aren't meant to be said."

"What if I offered you to be my travelling doctor and in return for you doing in what I say, I will bring Naraku to ruins." Sesshomaru had originally planned to crush Naraku to pieces but it would be an empowering thing to have a miraculous healer by your side in case of emergencies.

"Say who to the what now?" Nobuo sputtered. "Didn't you hear? The Ancient Ones won't allow it."

"And who are the Ancient Ones?" Sesshomaru elegantly tucked a lock of hair behind his ear. Reina was about to reply when an elderly women, wrapped in bundles of elaborate fabrics ranging from colours of gold, red, and white, entered. Nobuo immediately knelt down and lowered his head, while Reina merely bowed.

"Did you want something from me, Inu Daiyokai?" The old woman's pale, icy blue eyes glowered at the two guests. Her face, which was once youthful, had wrinkles and creases but despite that, she had a powerful and almost godly like aura around her.

Sesshomaru glanced at the woman, with an inspecting eye and Reina gently tapped his elbow, whispering: "That's one of the Ancient Ones...Lady Maeko of the Northern Mountain."

Sesshomaru studied the young girl who was bowing deeply before turning around and facing the Ancient One. "I am Sesshomaru and I request to take this 'healer' with me, off of the mountains."

Reina's and Nobuo's face paled as they watched the Ancient One twitch with irritation.

"Oi, Reina...do something about that stuck up idiot!" Nobuo muttered to the Guardian. Reina blinked at him as if he went crazy.

"Ehhh? But she's your grandmother! And of all of the guardians...she's the last one I would want to talk back to." Reina murmured back.

"Silence you two!" Lady Maeko snapped at the two and the both stood up properly with their mouths closed. The elderly woman glared at Sesshomaru and hissed: "That's some arrogance you have...Sesshomaru. Do you have any idea what the consequences are if you take the Guardian away? This place would be the same as the corrupted and filthy like world. Do you have any idea how long it took our tribe to ascend to such a powerful state, to build such a powerful barrier just to preserve this Utopia?"

"How dare you speak like that to Lord Sess-" Jaken's mouth was clamped shut as Nobuo, once again, wrapped his tail firmly around the imp demon's mouth. Reina kept glancing nervously between Maeko and Sesshomaru as both had an intimidating prescence, arrogance, and pride that may cause some worrisome consequences afterwards. "Um…" Reina began but the Ancient One raised her hand, preventing the girl from talking.

"Lord Sesshomaru...the Guardian is a valuable being to us. She's also valuable to every single human out there. You had barely met the Guardian and you're already arrogant enough to take her away? The reason why we confine the Guardian within the barrier is because…" The woman snarled as her face began to reveal an ugly complexion. The skin stretched slightly and red marks appeared on the side of her face. Her eyes narrowed as her white teeth bared, showing the hatred displayed just by memory. "The outside world doesn't deserve her."

From the corner of Sesshomaru's eye, he saw the trembling of Reina who had her head lowered with her fists clenched. Unsure if she was trembling in fear of the woman or the outside world, or if she was trembling from conflicted ideas, Sesshomaru was keen on using her current emotions to make her a pawn. "The Guardian has a choice of her own. Besides," He stopped the smirk from crawling onto his face. "She's not one of you."

"You insolent mutt!" The old woman growled. Her body began shifting into her true form: A white fox with red marks on her face. The side of her body was covered from scars, most likely from battle. But her transformation was stopped by a jolly old man, who was chuckling like a wise sage. The woman stopped as she also lowered her head.

"You're either in big trouble, or you're going to be extremely lucky, sir." Nobuo muttered to Sesshomaru, as the demon arched an eyebrow in amusement.

"Ho ho...Maeko calm down. Lord Sesshomaru is it? But unfortunately...you cannot take the Guardian away with you. Like Maeko said…" The old man stroked his beard. "The outside world doesn't deserve her. Besides! Someone else has already tried to take her away...but he betrayed us and especially the Guardian. Trust is a easy thing to break but a hard thing to gain. Therefore I apologize." The old man said, rather cheerfully.

"Gramps...that's enough." Reina replied coldly, surprising the group. She was always obedient and rather timid...knowing when to hold her tongue and what to say. However, this time, Reina couldn't help herself. "I'm not a possession for you all to discuss over...I have my will too. The outside world may not deserve me, but they need me. If I go out...I can heal and save those who cannot come here. I can give hope to the outside world you describe as corrupted. Please...or just at least let me go until Naraku is gone."

"Don't be foolish child...what can you do? Heal and save. You can't 'fight', you can't 'harm' so how can you defeat Naraku?" The old woman scowled.

"I plan on destroying Naraku. All Reina needs to do is heal and save." Sesshomaru intervened the conversation, calmly.

The old man looked at Sesshomaru up and down. "You seem like a young man who would do anything for his ambitions. How can we trust Reina's life in your hands?" The old man then peered around Sesshomaru and looked at Reina. "And you, young lady...you know how useless and ungreatful the outside world is. You've experienced it first hand-"

"Are you saying that I, the Great Sesshomaru, Son of the former Great Dog General, cannot protect a mere human?" The demon looked directly into the golden eyes of the elderly man. The old one stopped smiling foolishly and replied: "The answer I want is not about your skills, Lord Sesshomaru. I am fully aware of who you are. I am asking...if you can bring Reina back unharmed."

"I hate repeating myself, Ancient One. I am Lord Sesshomaru, and the duty of protecting that little girl and bringing her here back in one piece is an easy feat." Lord Sesshomaru snorted in confidence.

The old man grinned. "Okay! You pass! Bye Reina sweetie! Stay safe! Eat lots of food and visit often!" The man began waving his arm and chuckling like an insane old man. Everyone stared at him in shock, especially Reina and Nobuo.

"Are you crazy? Lord-" Maeko began but Reina and Nobuo beat her to it.

"Are you serious?! Then what was the point of keeping her here all of this time?" Nobuo shouted.

"Why does it feel like I've been lied to my entire life?" Reina grumbled.

"Calm down, children. We've kept her for too long but she's still a weak child. To leave the mountain...she needs a capable bodyguard. None of us foxes can leave because if we're too far from the mountain...we lose our spiritual energy. And all of those previous jerks who tried to take away our precious Guardian...were all trying to steal her. If they didn't have the guts to even confront us...pfft" The old man laughed as he patted the girl's head. "They don't deserve her."

Reina opened her mouth then closed it. There was a nagging question but she didn't ask for the sake of her freedom. She then looked at Sesshomaru who was looking at her medical notes with knitted eyebrows. Walking over, the girl deeply bowed, showing her uttermost respect and gratitude as she mustered up the courage to say: "Thank you."


	3. Chapter 3: Leaving

**Hi guys! I have changed the title for this fanfiction from Heal to Pied Piper because of a concept I have in mind. It's not exactly like the European tale so don't worry about Reina devouring children or anything. ^^ Anyways, just enjoy the story :)**

"What a waste of time. I've overestimated the fox spirits and the Guardian. To think I went through so much trouble for a pathetic human. Are you sure you're even a Guardian? They seemed awfully happy to let you go." Sesshomaru was rather irritated that there wasn't much action going on but found the idea of Reina being a Guardian even more unbelievable. Either she was a fake or that Elder was out of his mind.

However, he decided to take entertainment from the pathetic human who was struggling to climb down the mountain. Reina stared at him with a disapproving look. "How would I know the Elder let me go so easily? Besides...are you sure you can even guarantee my safety? You look like one reckless client...I doubt you'd even care if I ended up having my head being spiked and hung outside of someone's house."

Sesshomaru raised his eyebrows in amusement at her odd comment. "I'd like to question your belief of having your head spiked and decorated as someone's trophy. Besides, I have better things to do than create more war over a silly mortal." Sesshomaru turned away and began to walk the moment Reina had gotten to the foot of the mountain. She nervously placed her hand through the barrier and sure enough, the girl was able to pass through.

Grinning excitedly she turned towards the demon and literally sparkled. "Oh my goodness, I passed through the barrier!" The two stared at each other in silence before a small snort escaped Sesshomaru's straight face and he turned away. Reina on the other hand became a deep shade of red. To her, it may seem like an incredible feat but for other creatures, and especially Sesshomaru, it seemed stupid. To him, it looked exactly like someone who has been living and breathing suddenly proclaim: "I didn't know that I could breathe air!".

"So where's Naraku?" Reina looked around as she readjusted the bag slung across of her shoulders. Jaken hugged and waved his staff at Reina, with an unamused expression. "If we already knew where he was, we wouldn't have taken this long!

"I'm sorry I expected so much from you two." Reina apologized with a hint of sarcasm and the two demons glowered at her. Reina straightened up immediately as if she was sorry for making such a stupid statement. Sesshomaru brushed away his hair and closed his eyes. "The rat is too sly but, if we ever encounter sudden aggressiveness from nearby areas, they are usually caused by Naraku. He's a character who likes to pull the strings from the shadows."

"Hmm...what about the Sacred Jewel?" Reina cocked her head and played with the little bag that hung around her neck. She was given instructions to keep the shards within it and then pass it to a priestess known for purification. The mountain and Reina herself had been able to eradicate the corruption of the jewel but Reina herself isn't strong enough to prevent it from being taken.

"What about the Sacred Jewel?" Sesshomaru echoed, with obvious lack of interest. Reina pointed at the bag and Sesshomaru scoffed and began to walk off. Jaken prodded Reina with his staff, motioning her to get moving. "Sesshomaru is strong enough without the shady power of the jewel. Frankly, we don't care about the jewel at all."

"Well that's a problem. There are two reasons why I'm in the outside world. One, to get rid of Naraku, and two, get rid of the jewel." Reina sniffed as she obediently trailed behind the silver haired man. He turned back to give her a pointed look before facing forward again.

"It's not that easy, 'princess'." He coated his words with sarcasm and slight mockery, which caused Reina to shiver. The twigs and leaves crackled and rustled underneath their footsteps and he stopped them. Several demons in different monstrous forms approached them from the shadow. They were all different in terms of appearance but they were all chanting the same thing:

"Hand over the Sacred Jewel...give me the Sacred Jewel…" Their eyes glowed with hunger as they eyed the pouch around Reina's neck. One of them lifted a bony finger and pointed at her as it licked its' lips. "Or we will snap her neck."

Instinctively, Reina reached up for her own throat as if it would prevent it from suddenly snapping. She then tightly grabbed onto her pouch and stood a little bit closer to Sesshomaru as she peeked out from behind him and shouted: "I don't want to."

"Kekeke...step aside demon and hand over the human to us. We can leave half of her body for you to eat afterwards…." Another squeaky voiced demon negotiated with Sesshomaru. The demon looked back at Reina who noticed this and glared at him. Sesshomaru arched an eyebrow in amusement and then turned towards the demons. Immediately, the man vanished and reappeared at different parts of Reina's vision as he swiftly mutilated all of them.

Reina looked horrified as her legs seem to lose balance. Sesshomaru shook off the blood on his nails and Jaken hurriedly went over to use a napkin to clean off his lord's nails. Reina opened her mouth then closed it, with Sesshomaru noticing this.

"You look like you were going to say something. Perhaps you are scared of me now? Or do you find the act of killing disgusting?" Sesshomaru asked the shaking Reina who could only hold his gaze with an unreadable expression.

"Maybe both." Reina croaked out before coughing to clear her voice. Sesshomaru snorted quietly as he absorbed her statement.

"It is a work where you either kill or get killed. Your sheltered life as a Guardian won't apply to the outside world." Sesshomaru elegantly tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. Reina took a shaky breath and straightened up while looking away.

"It's not easy to change your lifestyle around, especially when you have been doing everything the opposite of what you're supposed to."

"And you think someone like me, who has lived for centuries, not to know that?" Sesshomaru turned away and proceeded deeper into the prestige while Jaken nudged Reina with a staff. His face. Was contorted into that of a scowl.

"Stop speaking so arrogantly human. Sesshomaru understands and won't pity you. If you don't accept our way of living and do something, you'll just be extra baggage." Jaken began to walk ahead while Reina looked back at the mountain of where she had be held for her entire life. Then she went into the forest with these as her final thoughts:

"I can no longer act like everything is an utopia."

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

The sun set and while Sesshomaru looked refined and elegant as usual, Reina on the other hand was wobbling in exhaustion and was far behind the group. In a single day, there had been numerous attacks which was mainly targeted at her. Her little pendant drove nearby demons crazy and in addition to eating a young, healthy woman would be a package deal. Of course, once you know that you can be nearly immortal with a healer next to you, not many would dare to defy against you.

The group were rather tired and not exactly happy. The attacks increased for Sesshomaru and now he also has to look out for another being who could not put up the slightest bit of a fight. He eyed the girl who was clasping her chest and breathing heavily, stagger then slump down against a log before scoffing. He walked up to her and picked up her bag, waving it in front of her face.

"Do you know or have anything that will give you any sort of protection? I don't like the idea of guarding and protecting you all the time, when I could find Naraku's whereabouts instead." Sesshomaru tossed the bag at Reina and she opened it. Taking out a large book about the pressure points and body structure, she rummaged further into her bag. Looking up sheepishly, Reina shook her head. Sesshomaru inhaled then breathed out slowly and deeply before turning away.

"I mean...I know things that may be helpful?" Reina ended her statement with a question mark at the end.

"Speak with clarity and confidence. I don't like indecisive speeches."

"I know things that MAY be helpful." Reina arched her eyebrow and emphasized the word "may".

"Oh? Try them on me now." Sesshomaru turned away and took off his swords, obviously not believing the girl's capabilities. Reina looked around then pointed down to the earth. "Now?"

"Did I say something different?"

Reina stared at the tall figure, with a blank smile and her inner thoughts going: "I really want to slap that attitude away." Then she began to shake her head, scolding herself quietly that it isn't right to treat and think of a patient like that. She clenched her fists and then walked towards him while outstretching an arm. Immediately Sesshomaru grabbed her wrist and turned it so that it was pinned behind her back.

"Are you seriously going to approach an enemy like this?"

"No...but I thought that this...was to show...you what I have?" Reina winced at the pain and strong grip the demon had and was wriggling to free herself. Of course, this was all for naught. Sesshomaru lets go of her and she hopped on one foot to regain her balance.

"Try again. This time I won't stop you."

Reina looked up at him before circling around him in wariness. Attack him and not straight on? What on earth does that mean? He knows that she will be attacking him from anywhere right now because he can see her and this confused her. It's evident that she has not seen, nor have any experience at all with combat. Giving up, the girl approached him from the back and reached for his arm. She then jabbed her second and third finger onto a certain spot before Sesshomaru blinked and felt his arm went limp. Frowning he was about to ask before Reina began to continuously bow down.

"Oh my goodness I am so sorry! I have temporarily paralyzed your arm. I should have asked for permission I-" She was cut off after Sesshomaru immediately regained his strength and movement. As if challenging what she had just said, he replied: "Hmm?"


	4. Chapter 4: Brother?

**Hi everyone! Before I start, I'm just going to change Reina's features a bit. Instead of black hair, I want her to have light brown hair because I think it would suit her character more. That's it lol.**

"Should we rest and touch up on your wound?" Reina nodded at Sesshomaru's missing arm and the infected area. The man looked back at her before ignoring her suggestion and proceeded forwards. Reina refrained a pout as she sighed deeply. The attitude that Sesshomaru's pride produced certainly wasn't friendly and it hadn't made Reina's communication any easier.

"If you want to die, then please stay and rest." Jaken scoffed as he waddled after his master. Reina arched an eyebrow at the imp's comment and turned back. She inhaled sharply as she noticed a cloud of demons heading after them. The girl took a step back before running after the white haired demon and began to panic. Pointing at the swarm of demons behind them she stuttered:

"S-Sesshomaru! Not again!" She tripped and bit her tongue as she looked at their pursuers in horror. Sesshomaru blinked before also turning his head. Reina swore that she could hear a small curse of irritation escape the male's lips. He stopped running and flexed his only claw. Reina looked at him with dizzy eyes and asked:

"What? Are we going to fight them?" She asked, clenching her fists despite the evident fact that it won't do anything. Sesshomaru ignored her and leapt forward, clawing at each monster before they extinguished into the air and reduced to nothing but ashes. Reina pinched her nose as the smell of blood and infection spread through the air and watched the demon who was supposedly on her side, shake off the blood.

"If you dislike the scent of the battlefield that much, go home." Sesshomaru walked past her and headed up the mountain, with a clear objective in his eyes. Reina resisted the urge to imitate him and followed him. She looked around her before peering at the top of the mountain to notice that it was slowly becoming more barren and gloomy.

"Lord Sesshomaru...where are we going?" Reina asked, as she felt a small chill slither down her back before feeling hotter and hotter, until the shoes of hers began to sizzle. They went up to an area where they were near, if not on the top of the mountain and it seemed like someone lives here. A cave with an opening,shaped as if you were to enter a large creature's mouth, was visible. Sesshomaru ordered the girl to stay on the side, where there wasn't any contact with the solid floor that barely covered the magma underneath. Jaken headed off first as Sesshomaru waited behind for Jaken to bring back the sword. "A cave…?" Reina questioned as she looked around before glancing up at the tall male in curiosity. His eyes narrowed as he walked up to Jaken who came running out. The imp looked terrified as he saw his master, then bowing down to Sesshomaru. "My apologies but he's not here."

"Hmm…" Sesshomaru stared at the abandoned cave before the imp continued. "How can I put it...he doesn't like you." Reina muffled a snort while Sesshomaru himself smiled. Jaken glanced up then at Reina, telling her to stop laughing but she could not help it and thought it was okay if the great demon himself found it amusing. "What?" The imp ran up to her and murmured: "It's even more terrifying that he smiles."

"But smiling is proven to be- never mind that. What was he looking for?" She whispered. The imp titled her way and responded: "Tōtōsai, the one who forged Lord Sesshomaru's brother's powerful sword." Reina pursed her lips, trying to imagine a younger version of Sesshomaru and only ended up with the imagery of two Sesshomaru pricks. She then looked back at the imp and asked: "If he already has a sword, why does he need another one?"

The imp opened his mouth before shrugging. He genuinely didn't know the answer but he won't admit it. "Ask Sesshomaru if you truly want to know."

"Why-" Reina was cut off as Sesshomaru walked up towards her. "Get on." He ordered her, causing the light haired girl to look at him in confusion. "Pardon?" Sesshomaru pointed at a scaly like creature that had a saddle on its back. She walked over at patted its neck. "Hello, what is your name?"

"He doesn't have one." Sesshomaru watched Reina give him a look of disbelief before asking, how long the creature was stuck with him. "Centuries that are uncountable." He sighed as Reina began to weep tears of pity as she also mounted the creature. The beast even kneeled down to help the girl get on with ease and then got up. It too, also shedded tears for its own sake. Sesshomaru also got onto the beast, behind Reina and held onto the reins. "If you can't even hold on tight to the creature, I'm bringing you back to your home." Reina grasped onto the creatures neck for dear life while Sesshomaru had a small smirk on his face before gaining his regular, stoic expression. As the flew into the air, Reina kept weeping tears of pity, stroking the mane of the creature.

"You poor thing. You've been so loyal but he never even gave you and identity?" The creature snorted in agreement.

"He's so stingy right?" Another snort responded.

"He's so cold and cruel right?" Another snort happened.

"Reina." The sudden use of her name straightened the girl up and turned to be greeted by Sesshomaru's ice cold eyes. It seemed to murmur "shut the fuck up before I throw you off" and Reina pouted. "Sorry…" The group continued to fly until specks of people are seen and they seemed to be drawing closer, or at least Reina's company was flying closer to them.

"Oh! One of them kind of looks like you." Reina blinked, oblivious to Sesshomaru's annoyance and Jaken's prayer for the girl to have a peaceful afterlife. Fortunately, Reina was not thrown overboard and Sesshomaru decided to go after his one and only target: Tōtōsai.

"Inuyasha...why do you plot with Tōtōsai?" The demon asked, with a displeased look on his face. Reina looked back at Jaken with a confused look but the imp mouthed "I'll tell you later." The group below were just as confused to see the demon with extra company...especially with one that seems to be like a human girl.

"Why is a human girl with him?" Kagome asked in confusion as Reina mirrored the same look of confusion as Kagome's group. Reina seemed harmless, which she is, but why on earth would she be with the demon.

"Isn't it obvious? To punish you!" The old man trembled behind Inuyasha. The great demon behind Reina emitted an intimidating and amused aura as he commented: "I see you're running headfirst towards death, Tōtōsai"

Immediately the old man hid behind the so called Inuyasha and Reina arched her eyebrows. "I hope I don't look as cowardly and hide pathetically behind your back." "No but you do like to rush your death, idiotically." The demon responded.

Tōtōsai began to stammer and responded: "Well, after you beat Inuyasha, maybe I'll make you a new sword.." Reina watched as the other people on the ground began to yell at the old man for saying something completely opposite of what he said before.

"Tōtōsai...do not forget what you said. You heard him right, Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru got off and flexed his claws. The creature immediately flew down, near the old man and Inuyasha's group.

"What are they doing?" Reina watched as Sesshomaru engaged in the largest fight Reina has ever seen. She then thought about the cause and marched up the old man, nodding politely at the others who didn't seem to impose any harm to her yet. The others returned the gesture, but at the same time, also looking confused.

"It's a pleasant day, is it not?" The girl smiled brightly and the others nodded, in slight daze. Miroku was the first to step out of it as he grasped the girl's hand and murmured: "Would you like to bear my children?"

"Nope!" Reina answered immediately. Miroku sighed then asked: "What's your name, pretty lady? I'm Miroku, this is Sango, that's Kagome and this is Shippō."

"I'm Reina and it seems as if you already knew my companions?" Reina glanced back at Sesshomaru who lunged forwards and broke the ground. She then looked back to see Miroku staring at her thoughtfully.

"Do you happen to leave on a mountain? With foxes and a barrier?" Miroku asked. It seemed like an odd question, but if you have seen Reina once and heard of her name, it was a completely normal question. Reina blinked and looked at the monk up and down before responding: "Cracked hole?"

"...Healer?"

"...Fox Deities?"

Miroku grinned and immediately grasped her hand in enthusiasm. "If it isn't the Guardian! What are you doing out in the dangerous world with a...person like him?" Miroku glanced at Sesshomaru and Inuyasha before releasing her hand. Reina sighed and replied: "He's both my patient and guardian."

The group looked even more baffled at the idea of Sesshomaru protecting what he hated most: a human. Reina shook her head as she squeezed past the monk to reach the old man. "Can't you just make Sesshomaru a sword so he can stop doing this?" Reina pointed at the brawling brothers and the old man merely whistled. The girl turned back in frustration and asked: "What is the relationship between those two?"

"Spiteful brothers." Reina pressed her lips as she took in the information. Then She grabbed the old man by the shoulders and shook him back and forth. "What are you doing, instigating a fight between two siblings! Just give Sesshomaru what he wants so they stop- Oh my goodness what are you doing, Sesshomaru?!" Reina began to talk faster and in panic as she watched her companion beat his brother.

"No good...Hey Myōga did Inuyasha truly master Tetsusaiga?"

Sesshomaru watched his younger brother fall to the ground, barely looking at Reina then at the old man beside her. As Sesshomaru began to talk about Inuyasha's uselessness in using the sword to fight, Reina rushed next to Inuyasha and checked for any major injuries. She was about to reach out when she was greeted by both Sesshomaru's and Inuyasha's disapproving comments.

"Reina. Don't needlessly interfere with this. Play your healer role when it's appropriate." Sesshomaru grabbed her wrist, before she could reach out to Inuyasha.

"Don't look down on me." Inuyasha sat up, with a struggling effort. Reina looked at them both as Sesshomaru jerked her upwards, ordering her to stay behind him.

"I prioritize my abilities to help and heal over your orders, Sesshomaru. Even if it means sullying one's pride." Reina bit her lip as she rubbed her wrist. The man looked down at her and huffed as he looked at Tōtōsai, demanding for a better sword. The old man merely responded with the sword on Sesshomaru was a gift from his father, just as it is of Tetsusaiga. Reina felt Sesshomaru's temper immediately rise and she watched the old man strike his hammer down. To her surprise, the demon picked her up and flew into the air before landing on safe ground, where it wasn't covered with lava.

"They've escaped." Sesshomaru commented, a hint of annoyance was heard from his voice. The group turned away and began to walk, with no clear goal for Reina. She quietly walked behind Sesshomaru, listening to him explain about Tenseiga. She gasped as he lifted his sword to strike Jaken, but only to see the imp was not hurt at all. She then realized at the frustration Sesshomaru had and the reason why he needed a new and powerful sword. For a prideful person like him, having a useless sword compared to his younger brother's powerful one puts a dent in his pride. And perhaps, hurt that his father may favour the younger sibling.

Before she can comment anything, a sea serpent came out of a lagoon and Reina backed off, along with Jaken. The serpent slashed his tail onto the ground and the ground shattered. Sesshomaru leapt up, swiftly avoiding the attack, and he flexed his claw, cutting the serpent up first in an "X" shape before cleanly slicing him down in the middle. He walked into the water and bent down, ripping the claw off of the beast.

"Reina." He turned around and held the claw out to her. The girl opened then closed her mouth and then opened it once more. She reached out and took it, hands trembling. "You don't...you-"

"Attach it." He dropped the arm in her hands and the girl gave him a look, suggesting he should reconsider. However, the man ignored it and Reina sighed. She examined the arm before pulling out her kit and taking out a dissecting knife. She then motioned for the demon to lift his sleeve which he did and sliced a small "x". He did the same with the serpent's arm and then used her hand, to draw out small lines that looked like thread from Sesshomaru's wound and attached them to the serpent. She then pulled out a needle and actual thread, attaching it around the outside of the arm.

"Why don't you use your power to do the entire process?" Sesshomaru asked Reina, who was cleaning off the needle and the knife. The girl looked up and grinned. "I don't like relying on it too much. I mean if I suddenly am not able to use my powers anymore, something that is my identity, I wouldn't be able to do anything else, right?"

"...Foolish healer." Sesshomaru responded with a slightly less annoyed voice. He then flexed his new arm and narrowed his eyes. "Time to find Inuyasha." Reina rubbed her temples as she saw this coming and muttered: "Of course you're going to find him again. At least leave him well enough to recuperate."


	5. Chapter 5: A Coward or an Idiot?

**Hello everyone! I'm back with another chapter AND I just finished making a digital painting of Reina so now this story has a cover. Hurrah! Sorry for the lack of activity, there's a lot of stuff going on and I'm trying to make time for fanfics! Trust me! Anyways, enjoy reading~**

 _On a paladin, a girl with soft brown waves looked at the others bowing as she passed by, refusing to look directly into her eyes. She opened her mouth then closed it, submission to the fact that she won't have much time left. As the people stopped, a man with large, muscular arms lifted her up and carried her. He solemnly carried her up to an altar, an old wooden structure laced with fresh flowers and jewels._

 _Her tired mind dazed off as she was instructed to stay there until "he" picked her up. She glanced to the side as everyone began to march back to their village, searching the crowd for her only relative. Her mother held her eyes, tears threatening to fall before she left without a word. Resentment was an emotion that was very tempting to overcome all thoughts that she may have had. But she couldn't. The girl couldn't resent the woman who raised and gave birth to her and was forced to send her only daughter away. Even if there was no affection or thought given to her, the girl learnt about kindness and had a decent life._

 _She sighed as she lowered her eyes, fiddling with the jade bracelet on her left wrist. It was the last present from her mother and it offered her some sort of security. She tightly grasped the accessory until midnight, as her hands became cold. The lake in front of her churned before a demon of the most hideous sight appeared. A scaly head with horns, beady eyes, and slime covering his skin. He gave her a crooked smile, with uneven yellow teeth as he eyed her up and down. The girl trembled as she could not look away from the creature...a creature that held the village's life in his hands. A creature who would decide whether he would want to keep her as a wife or a food source._

 _Her mind began to panic as a teardrop slid down her cheek. She shuffled back, clumsily as her knees were too weak to force herself to get up. The creature found this entertaining and hissed with a disgustingly smooth voice. "Come...it excites me to see you like this."_

 _The girl began to cry and she pleaded to anyone that she didn't want to sobs continued until the monster became irritated and decided to just force her to come with him. The moment he grabbed her wrist, a sword sliced him in half. The girl instinctively retracted her hand as she looked up at who her saviour was. He frowned as he picked his ear, kicking the monster away._

" _I was busy writing poetry, only to be disturbed by a disgusting crook's squeals of excitement and a girl screaming her head off to be saved. Okay, now to kill of the next source of disturbance." He swung his sword but paused right next to her neck as he stared at her eyes. He tilted his head, a childish and innocent curiosity crept up his face. "Why aren't you screaming now."_

 _To his surprise, the girl mustered up an exhausted smile. "I'd rather die like this in a more humane way." The boy blinked before laughing and lowering his sword. He knelt down in front of her, examining the girl in great concentration as his clothes slowly dyed with blood. He then grinned and motioned a drinking gesture. "How good are you at pouring sake?" The girl blinked and in a daze, she replied with in a confused tone: "I was a waitress?"_

 _The girl looked at him, who was not much older than she was, perhaps a year or two apart. He had a young face, that could pass as a handsome man if it wasn't for the large sword next to him, and had blood splattered on his face. He frowned slightly as he tilted his head. "That's not a confident answer. Should I just kill you off?"_

" _Yes! I mean no, don't kill me off! But yes, I can pour sake!" The girl fumbled with her words, slightly shakened as she glanced at the monster now dead next to her. She warily looked back at the boy who grinned, but wasn't done in questioning her existence. "If I save you and bring you with a friend and I, what can you do?"_

" _Er...I know more or less about medicine and treating a patient? B-but is this necessary? You could just...I don't know, send me home?" The boy rolled his eyes as if she was extremely stupid. He pointed his finger at the creature once more and arched an eyebrow._

" _Do you really want to go back to the people who literally sent you off to have a miserable existence with that weak filth? And what will they do, celebrate that you returned safely and killed him off? I think they would either be really terrified of you or afraid that you angered one of his kin." He retracted his hand and rested his chin on it. He watched the girl shiver and bite her lip as realization hits her. Seeing that she had no more fire to argue with him, he grabbed her by the waist and tossed her over his shoulder, to which the girl yelped in surprise. She began to squirm and flailed her legs, much to his annoyance._

" _What are you doing?" She struggled uselessly._

" _I'm kidnapping you, doc. Oh, by the way, my name is Bankotsu."_

•| ⊱✿⊰ |•

"...I don't think this is a good idea." Reina commented as they got up, ready to confront the younger sibling of her client once more. Sesshomaru rolled his eyes, this sassy demon, and snorted: "I don't recall asking for your opinion."

Reina pointed at his arm. "Yeh? I don't remember you asking me to do a good job on that arm! And I did! Why don't you show some gratitude or at least listen to my advice because maybe this inexperienced girl knows something up here." She then motioned her own head and the demon glanced down at her, a small smile touched his lips.

"Are you becoming more bold?" A shiver slithered down her spine as she once again remembered how terrifying and odd this demons was and it was similar to one of the vixens back at home who had a terrible mode swing especially with their period. Reina gasped at touched her lips as she stared at the great demon who arched an eyebrow. He had a feeling it wasn't the sudden realization that she should be awe and he certainly hoped that it wasn't the look of pity.

She opened her mouth ready to speak, before her face turned bright red. At first, she stumbled over the first syllable of Sesshomaru's name before she shouted it out with more aggression than needed. He felt himself become more attentive at her sudden outburst before a sigh of exasperation escaped him as he heard her question.

"You're a male, right?" Reina asked, lowering her voice to almost a whisper. Jaken choked out a noise that showed how completely shocked he was by the preprosperous question. Ignoring the girl's question, he turned away, his fur coat bristling across Reina's face before it fell down to his ankles again.

•| ⊱✿⊰ |•

"Ugh..you found yourself another arm?" Inuyasha shouted in disgust, ask he clashed his sword against the arm that _Reina_ had attached. Miroku glanced over at the girl who turned away, a brief look of guilt and shame coloured her face. She couldn't say anything in her defense about it and it's worse that attaching it was against her morals. She covered her face in her hands as she now deeply regretted that she had let her fear take over.

"...As expected...Tetsusaiga is amazing. And yet, you still cannot see the Wind Scar." Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes as he then looked down at his dragon claw. Flexing it, he then lunged at Inuyasha, a look of delight flashed.

"..." Reina glanced at the sword that was ringing and then at the claw she attached. If Sesshomaru continued to attack his brother, who clearly isn't using his head much and have not figured whatever the heck a "Wind Scar" is, he will die. And if Inuyasha dies, it's her fault. She clenched her fist and edged closer, slowly but as much as possible in case she had to save the boy. Of course, she's aware that Sesshomaru would knaw her head off, but it was worth it if she could save his life.

She gasped as Sesshomaru was ready to land the final blow on his blinded brother and ran out into the midst of the battle. "No, stop!" Inside her mind, she was crying, and her legs were shaky.

 _Idiot Reina! What are you doing, throwing yourself into the dangerous world! Even if Sesshomaru lands an attack and badly dismember Inuyasha, you can still fix him. Now you're just sending yourself to your deathbed._

But her guts were giving her a bad feeling. And it was worry for Sesshomaru. Her instincts were accurate as Inuyasha suddenly unleashed a tremendous amount of energy and it was ready to hit Sesshomaru straight on. The energy seared her skin, as she was right behind Sesshomaru, who was starting to los his consciousness. She went in front of him, and raised her arms, shouting out: "Barrier".

A glow emerged and developed itself around her and Sesshomaru. As the guardian of a holy mountain with impenetrable barrier, Reina was linked spiritually to it and was able to create her own barrier. But she's far away from home, and her barrier, is a lot weaker in comparison as well as restricted. Her arms began to feel like jello and she broke the skin on her lip, immediately regretting not doing physical exercises and training back home. However, a ray of blue light sturdier her barrier, enough that she didn't need to hold it up herself. The blue light and her barrier immediately transferred them to God knows where.

As she felt the air settle, both she and Sesshomaru were lying next to a large oak tree. Blinking in slight panic and worry, she realized she had no idea where they were. And she had an injured patient next to her. His eyes were blood red, a sign of his more demonic side surfacing and his unstable situation. She reached out an arm and placed it on his chest, beginning to start the healing process. Still in shock, the demon's reflex was to struck the girl across the face, with poison searing into her face. She didn't move and didn't say a word, to avoid increasing his current anxiety and worsening their situation. As she heard his breathing slowing down, she ignored the burning sensation in her face and helped him lie back down.

"Stay still for a moment. I'll first fix the area where your detached arm was, then fix and heal all your injuries." She murmured, in a soft voice. His eyes were still red and staring right at her, but she felt his heartbeat slow down. The process happened quickly, but it seemed unbearably long to the both of them. Not once did Sesshomaru lift his gaze off of her, and not once did Reina stop working with the injuries, with a gold light and threads emerging from her hands. For that moment, they stood on equal grounds. She was his doctor, and he was her guardian. As the bushes rustled next to them, Sesshomaru shot up, and snarled while Reina tensed. Her eyes were tightly closed as she prayed for nothing to happen now, when they were both defenseless.

"Who's there?" She called out, and Sesshomaru saw from the corner of his eyes that she was trembling. Sensing no, bloodlust and small footsteps, she turned her head and sighed in relief to see a little girl. She then gently pushed Sesshomaru back down and while using one hand to heal, she faced the girl with an exhausted smile.

"Hello? Are you lost?" The little girl hid shyly behind the trees before stopping forward with a pipe and placing it down. Before Reina could say anything the girl dashed off and Reina felt baffled. Finishing off the last injury, She checked the pipe and noted that it was water that the girl left behind for them. She dropped a few drops on her hands and for a moment, the water sparkled. Facing the demon next to her, she outstretched the pipe and stated: "It's not poisoned."

"...You're easy to scare aren't you? Terrified when she first appeared, and you're scared of me slightly. You were even cautious if a child poisoned it." Sesshomaru commented, his eyes turned back to their golden colour. He turned down the offer from the pipe and watched the girl rub her arms sheepishly.

"You just realized I'm a coward with trust issues?" Reina laughed awkwardly. She then ripped part of her skirt and drenched it with water. She ordered the demon to sit up and began to wip the smaller wounds that she had left alone. The demon obeyed grudgingly before asking again:

"Why aren't you drinking the water or healing yourself? You're weak and easier to break." Reina rolled her eyes in response as she replied: "I can't heal myself and besides, a doctor prioritizes their patient first. But I do want to know, how am I supposed to heal this?" She pointed at the open wound on her face. It showed no progress of healing as it was imbedded with her patient's poison. The demon grunted and closed his eyes. "I don't think a coward would just jump into the middle of a battle to save someone. That's simply idiocy. Also, I'll just get you some medicinal herbs later." Reina blinked in surprise before grinning.

"I'm going to have to hold you to that promise."

•| ⊱✿⊰ |•

" _So that's the story! This is our doc, uh...hey missy what's your name?" Bankotsu looked back at the girl who was staring at his friend, who he introduced as Jakotsu. He was undeniably a_ pretty _person, but he did not seem to believe in her abilities. Not that she could blame him._

" _...Reina." The girl replied while Jakotsu circled around her. He hummed before questioning his friend: "Are you sure this hamster can survive with us?"_

" _Ham-!" Reina gasped at her sudden new nickname and the insult. She huffed and pointed accusingly at him: "I'm a doctor's daughter and I...uhm...I'm good at spying and acting!" She defended herself. She wasn't lying as it was mainly her innocent and small stature that allowed her to be unnoticed as well as treated as a harmless hamster._

" _Ho? So you're a decoy."_

" _Yes- NO! I'm the doctor! Actually I don't even know why I'm here!"_

" _Wow, you suddenly got talkative now that you think you're out of the danger zone. Just letting you know, if you're useless, we will also abandon you to a group of yōkais to eat you."_

" _..."_


	6. Chapter 6: An alcoholic

_The group of three wandered through the woods with Reina carrying a large jug of sake. Earlier, they had passed by a small village with a rather popular winery. It was the last village before they would enter another large forest and then reaching a large city. There was a festival where friendly spars and competitors of all kinds will reach one another. Reina was told that they would be staying there for a few days before proceeding near the countrysides._

 _She highly doubted that her new master would participate in a "friendly spar" and instead, turn it into a bloody murder she was not Jakotsu advised against it and the two males agreed on playing around before creating a bloodbath. They also made it clear to the girl that if she ran in the middle of the festival, they won't let her leave alive. The perfect words to chain a frightened girl down. The group proceeded to trudge along a muddy trail and the sounds emitted from the forest were only created by birds, insects, the crackling and crunching of leaves,and Bankotsu's obnoxious whistling. Reina really did plan on being an obedient girl. She was fully aware of her position in the small group and if she did act out of place, she can expect her head to be neatly cut off within seconds. But when you are in a frantic state and when your original personality does not enable you to sensibly remain quiet, it gets difficult._

 _Reina peered over her shoulder as she heard small whistling murmurs, at first thinking it was the wind. She then realized a red eyed creature was following them in the shadows. Then, at a rapid speed, it slithered up a tree and revealed a hideous face. Pale skinned and irregular shaped, the demon also had a peeled off face and her mouth stretched from one ear to another. Her mouth revealed a neat set of dagger sharp teeth. Reina faced forward and she sputtered her words as her pace quickened. "B-b-Bankotsu, Jakotsu." She called out to them and both males glanced at her, expecting a good reason for her to call out to them._

" _What do you want Hamster?" Jakotsu pulled the wine jar slightly away from Reina's face so he could look at her face better and to make her job balancing the wine jar worse. She pointed in the direction behind her while shivering in fear and the man looked back. He was disinterested and it was obvious that he did not want to fight the demon simply because it wasn't his preference. Bankotsu stopped whistling to see what was holding the group back. His eyes looked at where Reina was pointing and he drew his sword._

" _Hmm, can't even fight off a low class demon." Bankotsu shared a look with Jakotsu who shook his head,_

" _Don't expect anything from me when it comes to combat." Reina balances her jar of wine before hiding behind the pair and slowly backing away so there was a safe distance between her and Bankotsu's sword. She's seen him swinging him weapon around in a casual manner, each time wrecking something. And every now and then, she would be involved in a life and death situation. And every time that happened, Bankotsu would comment on her reflexes. He raised his sword, and for probably the 50th time this past week, she watched blood splatter everywhere. Bankotsu spun his sword around and shook off the blood before proceeding forward, towards their original direction. Jakotsu stepped over the dead corpse and walked past Reina, motioning for the girl to hurry up. Even though Reina was used to it, she still glanced back at the corpse and she still hesitated. But right before her attention was dragged away, her companions uttered a single phrase of advice: "Don't look back"._

The tears in the corner of Reina's eyes refused to leave and dry up because the pestering sting of Sesshomaru's poison also refused to leave her alone. The side of her cheek was only lightly scratched by his claw, but it still left a deep enough wound for the poison to seep in and her cheek was swollen. She glanced up at the skies as she cradled their new human companion in her arms. It was almost approaching night and Jaken's inconsistent squealing didn't make her feel any safer or at home. Rin, on the other hand, rested her head against Reina's chest and quickly fell into a deep slumber. Sesshomaru went off somewhere to pick up his promised medicinal herbs for her as a gift and sign of kindness from him. There wasn't a single apology muttered but his actions were good enough for her.

She had a lot of injuries on her face, but Reina helped patched up a little bit. She didn't know how such a small child sustained such wounds but she didn't have the heart to tell the girl to heal the rest herself. So she fixed all of them and even provided her some small medication that she mixed several days ago as a backup. Rin stirred and woke up, rubbing her eyes. She looked around with a dazed look before giving a goofy grin to Reina.

"Good morning to you too." Reina returned a small smile as she watched the girl stretch and then hop away. Reina barely saw children on her time on the mountain and to be frank, the unpredictability in children made her nervous. Like they were going to accidentally break their bones or something. But the persistent pain in her cheek forced her to stay put and to continue resting.

As she continued to rest, she waited for someone to come find her. Sighing, she imagined listening to the sound of drums and the sweet smell of…

.

.

.

Alcohol.

Once in a while, on the Mountain, she was able to enjoy occasional celebratory alcohol while the Ancient Ones were happy. Which, among the foxes, was everyday. Reina sighed as she rest her face in her hand. Sure, she has disapproved of such a tempting drink from patients, but it was only for those who were going to die of too much drinking. She was a Guardian, a Saint, who's life won't be extinguished by some, alcohol.

"I wish I had some sake." Reina pouted.

"I didn't take the Guardian as an alcoholic." Sesshomaru appeared from behind her. The girl yelped and then clutched her heart, sighing. The demon grinned slightly at her reaction before passing her a basket of medicinal herbs. Reina took it and examined the ingredients before grinning.

"It won't hurt if you turned all of these into actual medicine would it?"

"It would."

"..." The girl took out her mortar and pestle, beginning to make her own medication. Sesshomaru scanned her from one angle to another before commenting: "Hm. At least you have dumb luck." Reina stopped mixing her medication and began to apply the mixture onto her face.

"What?" She was clearly unamused. Then she noticed a pack of wolves beginning to appear in front of them. She stood up slowly, packing away her belongings before tugging onto the sleeve of Sesshomaru. "Hey...I think Rin went that way. Where these wolves came from."

"Mm." He pulled out his claws and within moments, he killed all three of the animals. He then headed towards to the forest with Reina behind him. She frowned as the smell of blood grew stronger and stronger. They both stopped when they reached a dead corpse, which obviously belonged to Rin. Sesshomaru glanced over at Reina who walked over to examine the corpse before sighing in pity. "She's gone."

"Can the Guardian bring the dead back?"

"...I wouldn't do it even for a loved one. It's a pity that such a sweet girl passed but I don't defy nature." Reina glanced at the bite marks. The white haired demon spent a brief amount of time to study her before he told Reina to move and then he drew his sword. He muttered something about testing the Tenseiga and sliced at thin air above of the dead girl. At this moment, Jaken arrived with his screeching voice before he noticed Reina and not very enthusiastically greeted her.

"At least I'm not nonexistent." Reina comforted herself. Then, Rin opened her eyes. She stood up and glanced at Sesshomaru before looking at Reina, who had her mouth dropped open. Sesshomaru turned and the brown haired woman quickly examined Rin in confusion before running after Sesshomaru with an intense gaze.

"Do you want your eyes plucked out?"

"No, not really but what kind of taboo did you break? Did you make an illegal dealing? Did you sell your soul? And is she actually back? I mean is she not an empty corpse-" Sesshomaru stopped and grabbed her chin, jerking it to the side as he stared at the cheek with newly applied ointment. He then lets go, commenting: "Glad to see the doctor hasn't had her brain rotten yet."

"That might not necessarily be true with what I just saw. You don't even need a doctor like me anymore now that you have miraculous healing powers yourself." Reina sighed as she began to fake tearing up.

"But I don't do the slave work and I most certainly cannot make medication." Sesshomaru replied. Reina smiled then broke out laughing. "Did the proud general just admit he can't do something?"

"No I just need you to do the slave work."

"Mm. Thought so." Reina sighed.

"Also, we will resume your training tomorrow."

Reina groaned.

" _Are you drunk?" Reina asked as she watched both men drink continuously from large barrels of sake. Bankotsu hiccuped before pointing accusingly at her, waving his barrel around._

" _You. Hic. Should loosen up. Hic. You're nothing but. Hic. A stick to our fun. Hic. Maybe. Hic. I should just. Hic. Kill you." He slammed his barrel down as Reina broke into a cold sweat. Reina sighed as she thought of her unavoidable death._

" _He's. Hopeless. Hic. When he's drunk. Hic. Just don't say anything. Hic." Jakotsu laughed. Reina rubbed her temple as she began to think of how she wants to die. Maybe at least this demon would be sensible enough to give her a painless death._

" _So, um. If you want to kill me, can you make it painless?" Reina twiddled her finger as she asked nervously. She avoided how Bankotsu was staring at her before he slid another barrel of sake to her and pointed at it. "Chug."_

 _Reina looked at the barrel then her capturer then at the barrel. What the fuck was happening? She didn't question him however, because she rather do this than doubt his decision and change his mind. She began to chug and at first, she winced at the unexpected bitter taste which slowly became a balance between extremely sweet and a bit of sourness to prevent it from being nauseating. It became addictive and she enjoyed every last drop of the drink._

 _She slammed down her barrel with happiness as she burped before she realized how shamelessly she acted. Bankotsu and Jakotsu stared at her in amazement before both started laughing and ordering another drink. Bankotsu slid more barrels to her and smirked as he rested his chin on his hand._

" _Look like someone can hold her alcohol. Maybe Jakotsu and I can have another drinking partner who can compete with us." Jakotsu grinned at this before he sneered at Reina, challenging her. Reina looked hesitantly at the barrel, but was quicker to drink it than the barrel before. She licked her lips and with sparkling eyes she glanced expectantly at the barrels in the center of the table. Bankotsu roles his eyes in disbelief before chugging some of his own drinks then Jakotsu tossed him some more._


	7. Chapter 7:Fear?

"You're getting better." Sesshomaru commented as he felt his arm go limp after Reina acutely pressed his pressure point. It was certain that he won't be able to move his arm for a while. Better than the previous few attempts she had tried. Sesshomaru looked up to see the girl scratching her head as she studied a sketch she made on humanoid shaped bodies. She had added notes with Sesshomaru's and Jaken's help on extremely vulnerable pressure points on demons.

"Thanks, but I really don't like this idea of experimentation on my patients." Reina paced around the demon as he nodded. "Good. Don't let the idea of disabling one arm get the best of you. There can be all sorts of tricks so you should stay on edge." The moment Reina was within his reach, he aimed to kick her hard on the side of her stomach. Reina realized this a bit too late and was only capable of raising one arm to soften the blow. He paused before he was able to actually land a kick on her and Reina felt a sigh of relief escape from her mouth as she loosened her arms. Sesshomaru then gently "tapped" the back of her knee, causing her to fall forward onto the ground.

An almost amused smile climbed onto Sesshomaru's face as he saw Reina's arms wobbling because she wasn't able to stand back up. The doctor gritted her teeth as she used her right arm to grab a rock and throw it towards the large demon. Sesshomaru caught it with easy, no doubt, and in addition, he even commented on how much she looked like a bug. "I also told you that you should always be on guard." Reina frowned and asked meekly: "Does that mean I have to be alert in my sleep."

"Ideally."

Reina then clutched her hand in frustration and had a muffled scream in anguish. Sesshomaru left Reina to her suffering as he sniffed the air. He turned his head, as if he was looking at something. Narrowing his eyes, he called out to Rin and Jaken. "We're going to start moving. Rin, Jaken. There should be a dead demon somewhere ahead. See if you can find it."

"Ugh, morbid." Reina shakily stood up as she felt the blood drain from her face. "That's not what children like to play with, unlike you Sesshomaru. You also have this distaste for attaching rotten and poisonous things onto your body."

Sesshomaru placed his hand on Reina's head, his grip tightening ever so slightly. Reina felt tears prick the corner of her eyes as she repeatedly cried "ow". Sesshomaru sighed. "You're not being cautious about speaking around me. Maybe I should make you hang around death more often so that you are more aware of your situation." As Sesshomaru said that, he began to follow the running imp and Rin. Reina followed behind them while she mimicked him wordlessly.

When Reina and Sesshomaru caught up with their other companions. There was, indeed, a dead demon. Reina followed him as he knelt down to examine the monster, particularly its fangs. He motioned Reina over and asked: "What do you think of his fangs."

Reina carefully lifted the corner of its mouth and responded with: "Really healthy and well sharpened. Extremely well sharpened. Is this why you want this. Please don't tell me you want to do more body experimentation, I won't support -"

She was cut off as Sesshomaru lifted the head of the decapitated demon over his shoulder. "No. But we are going to do some forging." He left off while Reina felt her left eye twitch. She was getting extremely tired from his impulsive decisions. While they were walking, Sesshomaru turned his head towards Reina, with curiosity. "How did a cowardly small human like you become a doctor. At times I look at you I think that a premature brain resides in that head of yours."

Reina glanced up at him. She then looked front. "I've been alive for a long time too, you know? I've had a long time to perfect being a doctor."

"How did you become the Guardian?"

"..." Reina fidgeted with a strand of her hair uncomfortably. "It's a stupid story of a naive girl."

"I'm sure it is." Sesshomaru stopped as they reached their destination. An old cottage was located in the idle of a swamp filled with fossils of demons. As Sesshomaru confronted the residence, Reina sat down on a rock outside. As she rubbed her arm, she thought about the journey with Sesshomaru. She could say that her naivety was being killed the more she hung out with him, but it also brought back many nostalgic memories that she wished was forgotten with along of others. But like everyone else, the embarrassing ones tend to stick around for a long time. It feels like she hasn't learned a thing since centuries ago.

Sesshomaru came up from behind her and asked: "What are you so afraid and ashamed of?" Reina turned around, confusion painted across her face. Sesshomaru knelt down in front of her, which surprised her that such a noble demon would do so. It was as if he was attempting to understand her by lowering himself to her level. She began to laugh at the thought, causing Sesshomaru to stand up again, with irritation. "It's very like you to view others as lower than you. I wish I had that confidence to self respect myself."

Sesshomaru watched Reina kick a nearby rock.

"I think you are stronger than you take yourself for granted. At least strong for a small human. Demi-human perhaps."

"Nope. Definitely human." She stopped grinning as she responded to his question. "I don't know, Sesshomaru. There are so many things that I just can't keep track of anymore. Having my time frozen on the mountain made me numb to so many memories because of the obligation I have to my patients. I'm not dying. I'm healthy. I'm safe. Others are suffering. I don't have time for self pity. And I enjoyed my time helping others. But after I stepped away from the mountain...memories I didn't want to keep came back and I just saw more flaws."

"Do you regret leaving?"

At that, Reina spun around immediately, as if to protest but nothing came out of her mouth. Sesshomaru closed his eyes as he acknowledged her silence before leaving. "I see." Hours passed as Reina pondered his question. Most of the questions he asked today, she didn't know the answers to. Suddenly a loud noise was heard from the cottage and Reina ran in, followed by Sesshomaru. As Sesshomaru brought the imp back to life and questioned him, Reina began to stitch him together.

"What a douchebag, he stole your loot." Reina scowled at where the swordsmith they commissioned once sat. Sesshomaru sheathed Tenseiga without saying anything about the situation. "Let's go."

—

" _I didn't have you hired as a drinker, but as a drink pourer." Bankotsu sighed after everyone woke up from a massive hangover, and headed out of the village. It was also the night after they've awakened the alcohol demon within Reina. Reina sweatdropped before the man then slapped her hard on the back. "But what a drinker you are! I much rather have you as a drinking companion. You'd probably just spill the precious sake everywhere." Sarcastically, Reina commented: "Wow, you know me so well boss."_

" _Since you're such a good companion, why don't you just become my wife?" Bankotsu grinned as Jakotsu dropped his cup of water. Reina began to choke before the boy with the braid laughed. "Just kidding. Who wants a flat chested, alcoholic, wimpy sacrificial woman as a bride?"_

" _Apparently a demon." Reina groaned as she rubbed her temple, suffering more from the memory rather than the hangover. Jakotsu shielded his eyes as he pointed at a village. "Out of anger, for your old village. Do you want to join us in a massacre? Well, you probably can't do much so you can sit on the side and watch too."_

" _...What?" Reina felt the blood drain from her face. Bankotsu and Jakotsu grinned excitedly as they counted the members of the club before pulling out their weapons and approaching slowly. As she watched Bankotsu pull off a thick brand from a tree and set it on fire, before tossing it into the first house, Reina remembered who her saviours were._

—

 _As the pair had finished slaughtering everyone, they approached Reina, who clutched a small child from the village. Bankotsu raised the same sword used to save her, at her. Reina didn't know if the trembling was from herself, or from the crying child in her arms._

" _Hand the kid over. Otherwise our fun isn't completed. If you keep refusing, we will peel the child out of your hands."_

" _Y-you...you demon." Reina felt tears rolling down her cheeks._

" _Sure. We enjoy killing. But this village is a cult that nurtures children then uses them as sacrifices. Who're the demons, us or them?"_

" _But...he's still a child." Reina glanced down at the child. Jakotsu yawned as he twirled with a strand of loose hair. "He's at the age where he's accepted the teaching of his village. If you let him leave, he could grow up following his village's footsteps. Of course this is just some bandit's nonsense."_

 _Reina looked into Bankotsu's eyes, which were void of emotion and completely merciless. Reina loosened her grip as Jakotsu lifted the child from her arms. Bankotsu then killed the last child of the village. "Next time, I won't warn you if you get in the way."_

 _As the two left, Reina stared at the child's body, tears refusing to stop falling. Did she do the right thing? No, no matter what the excuse was, even the child could reintegrate into another village and he could have easily been influenced and change his ethics. But Reina still gave him up because she wanted to hold onto her feeble life. She will forever carry the burden with her._


End file.
